Few modern-day Montreal bands have commanded the respect or enjoyed the staying power of frown line. Fronted by Annika Devlin, this indie rock act has been a mainstay of the city’s music scene for years, with steady local growth alongside a meteoric rise online and on the road.
Now sporting a partially new lineup of Jacob Barton on guitar, Jack Moore on drums, and Juan Jimenez on bass, Frown Line has honed in on their signature sound even further, delivering a masterful set to an eager Casa del Popolo crowd on Thursday night at POP Montreal.
This show marked the end of frown line’s last tour, and you could tell they’d put in the hours over the past few weeks. Every moment is crafted meticulously. Passages on guitar from Barton charge into the mix for a few measures, then slink away to make space for another choppy, headbang-inducing moment between Jimenez and Moore on the rhythm side. Devlin’s voice is as angelic and heartbreaking as ever, even-keeled and always, ALWAYS on key, no matter how rapturous the instrumental gets.
Having seen frown line play a number of times now, I’m continuously impressed by their consistency. Every song is tuned to perfection, mindfully arranged, and played within an inch of its life, with Devlin’s steady, pressing energy driving the entire affair forward. While the new frown line-up isn’t a reinvention by any means, there are moments where it begins to teeter into something darker and heavier, a sound I’d love to see them experiment more with. Whether you’re new to the ways of frown line or if it’s just been a while since you caught a set, they’re absolutely worth catching in this new form.
